green living, smart spending
During Hispanic Heritage Month, or any time, you can discover the rich and historic connection between national parks and historic sites and Hispanic/Latinx heritage. And there’s always the opportunity to take a hike, watch wildlife, enjoy a picture perfect sunset, learn about the intersection of national parks, conservation and recreation with Park Rangers.
Squaw Valley, home of the 1960 Winter Olympics, is no more. Its new name is Palisades Tahoe, and it newly incorporates the adjoining ski/snowboard resort, which is no longer known as Alpine Meadows. The name change is the latest in a wave of rebranding of names which insult our Native American tribes, including renaming major sports teams.
The Tokyo Olympics aren’t the only games this month. WEIO in Fairbanks, Alaska, draws Native athletes and dancers from around the state, the United States, Canada and Greenland. Competitive games include high kick, knuckle hop, ear pull, two-foot high kick, Eskimo stick pull, and the blanket toss. There’s also indigenous dances, authentic arts and crafts for sale, a Miss WEIO pageant and other cultural activities.
The USA has put 80% of the world on the Level Four: Do Not Travel advisory list for safety reasons, a total of 116 countries not recommended for Americans to visit now.
The magical destination of Tahiti re-opened to international tourism on May 1, 2021. Here’s why you should put Tahiti on your bucket list, especially it’s most famous island, Bora Bora. It sparkles with its diverse marine life, rugged mountain landscapes thick with colorful flowers and deep green trees, and luxurious glass-floored bungalows that seem to float over pristine turquoise lagoons.
Where to go next: We’re all itching to travel again after being cooped up for most all of 2020 and so far in 2021. Consider these national parks in Europe as a great escape, with open spaces for peaceful vistas or challenging hiking trails for exercise and adventure.
The parades may be cancelled this year but the spirit of Mardi Gras in New Orleans will be in full swing online Feb 12-15 with music including by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, virtual tours of famous restaurants including Antoine’s and Dookie Chase, and more.
In celebration of the signing the Great American Outdoors Act, admission to national parks and public lands is FREE on August 5, 2020. In addition, August 4th is being designated as the “Great American Outdoors Day.” In future years, every August 4 will be a free entrance day to celebrate the signing of this landmark
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The iconic Ford Bronco is returning after a quarter-century, as a part of Ford’s all-new outdoor lifestyle brand of 4×4 adventure SUVs. And it’s being introduced on national TV on July 13, across multiple networks, channels and streaming services. It’s the first time ever prime-time product reveal for Ford, and maybe for any automotive company.
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Switzerland’s most famous mountain, the Matterhorn, is covered in flags in April, a different one each night, all virtually, part of an ongoing tribute to countries seriously affected by Covid-19. The American flag is being displayed on Thursday, April 16th. These are gi-normous reflected projections of flags, cover the 14,600-foot Swiss peak, one of the
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